2008 Lexus ES 350

 Dare to compare!!! All the right toys!!! Oh yeah!!! There are used cars, and then there are cars like this well-taken care of 2008 Lexus ES.  This luxury vehicle has it all, from a posh interior to a wealth of fantastic features.  If you want a creampuff with style, this is it. Roll down the street in the lap of luxury. BTW, when you are looking at this vehicle, don't miss the Premium Package, Front dual zone A/C, Bluetooth Audio, Rear Seat Side Airbags, Heated & Ventilated Front Seats, Perforated Semi-Aniline Leather Seat Trim, Power moonroof, and Lexus Premium Audio w/Navigation.

Lexus Certified Pre-Owned means you not only get the reassurance of a 3yr/100,000 mile limited warranty, but also a 161-point inspection/reconditioning, 24hr roadside assistance, trip-interruption services, loaner car, complimentary oil/filter change, and a complete CARFAX vehicle history report.

 PERFORMANCE FEATURES
*  3.5 Liter 272HP Four Cam 24-Valve V6 Engine
   All-Aluminum Engine Construction & Dual VVT-i
*  6-Speed Automatic Transmission w/Sequential Shift
*  Front Wheel Drive
*  Dual Exhaust with Chrome  Finished Tips
*  4-Wheel Independent MacPherson Strut-Type
   Suspension with Gas Pressurized Shock Absorbers
   Front and Rear Stabilizer Bar
*  4-Wheel Power Assisted Ventilated Front/Solid
   Rear Disc Brakes
*  17" Aluminum Alloy 7-Spoke Wheels
*  215/55R17 All-Season Tires
#  SAFETY FEATURES
*  Dual Front Airbags, Dual Front Knee Airbags, Front
   Seat-Mounted Side Impact Airbags, Fr & Rr Side
   Curtain Airbags, Supplemental Restraint Sys (SRS)
   3-Point Safety Belts for All Seating Positions
*  Fr & Rr Outboard Seat Belt Pretensioners with
   Force Limiters
*  Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with TRAC
*  4-Wheel Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with
   Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
*  Energy Managing Crumple Zones, Side Door Beams
*  Theft-Deterrent System w/ Engine Immobilizer
*  Projector-Bulb Headlamps w/ Integrated Foglamps/
   Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
*  Variable Intermittent Wipers with Mist Control
*  Tire Pressure Monitor System
*  Tool Kit and First Aid Kit
#  LUXURY AND CONVENIENCE FEATURES
*  SmartAccess with Push Button Start/Stop
*  10-Way Power Adjustable Driver & Passenger Seats
   includes 2-way Power Lumbar
*  Electrochromic Auto-Dimming Interior Mirror
*  Heated Outside Mirrors
*  One-Touch Open/Close Pwr Tilt-and-Slide Moonroof
*  Automatic Dual Zone Climate Control
*  Automatic On/Off Headlamps
*  Lexus Premium Audio System w/In-Dash 6-Disc CD
   Player Automatic Sound Levelizer (ASL) & MP3
   Player Connectivity (miniplug) & 8-Speakers
*  Power Front and Rear Windows with Auto One-
   Touch Up/Down and Pinch Protection
*  Power Door Locks with Anti-Lock Out
*  Power Tilt/Telescoping Steering Wheel w/Audio &
   Display Functions & Column-Mounted Cruise Control
*  Key FOB-Integrated Multi-Function Remote Entry Sys
*  Rear Glass Imprinted Antenna w/FM Diversity Sys
*  Front Cup Holders with Adjustable Holder Ring
*  Rear Arm Rest with Cup Holders
*  Heavy-Duty Rear Window Defogger with Timer
*  Scheduled Maintenance Indicator Light
*  Lexus Personalized Settings
*  LED Interior Lighting
*  Carpeted Floor Mats
 Rear Seat Side Airbags  .....................    
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats  ..........    
Navigation System Includes:  ................   
Voice Activated DVD Navigation System w/Rear
Camera, and Bluetooth  ......................
Premium Package Includes:  ..................   
Leather Trim Interior with Memory for Driver''
Seat, Outside Mirrors, and Power Tilt/Telesco
Steering Wheel  .............................
Wood & Leather Steering Wheel  .............. 

2008 Lexus ES Smooth, quick, luxurious sedan. By New Car Test Drive

Overview The Lexus ES 350 is a mid-size sedan that celebrates smoothness, quietude and sophistication. The Lexus ES doesn't suffer the hard ride of a German sports sedan. You can safely sip a cappuccino on the way to work. The ride is smooth, the engine is smooth, the six-speed automatic is flawless, everything is quiet. The ES 350 is quick and responsive, benefitting from a newly developed 272-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine. Lexus says it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds, a solid performance. Yet the ES 350 is also certified to the Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle II (ULEV II) standard. The ES 350 was completely redesigned for the 2007 model year and there are only minor revisions for 2008, such as new personal reading lamps for rear-seat riders. The Lexus ES series has come a long way. When Toyota launched its premium Lexus brand in late 1989, its entry-level model was the ES 250, with a thinly disguised Camry chassis and powertrain under a mildly upgraded body and interior. With each succeeding generation, the ES has better met the needs of the entry-luxury segment, with more room, more space, more power, and more standard equipment. And more safety features. Lexus presents the ES and IS as a one-two challenge to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3 Series, Infiniti G35 and M35, Audi A6, Saab 9-3, Volvo S60, and a host of domestics in this popular class. The ES is designed to emphasize ride quality and smoothness, while the IS is oriented around sharp handling and is designed to be a driver's car. The ES uses front-wheel drive, while the IS is rear-wheel drive. We like both, depending on the mood and the task at hand.

Model Lineup The 2008 Lexus ES 350  comes as one model. It comes with high-grade fabric upholstery, 10-way power front seats; power tilt-and-telescope steering wheel; dual-zone automatic climate control; power glass sunroof; eight-speaker AM/FM/6CD, satellite compatibility, and MP3/iPod input jack; programmable SmartAccess keyless entry; and all the other amenities one would expect for the price. Tires are P215/55 all-season radials on 17-inch seven-spoke alloy wheels. The Premium Package ($1,280) adds leather seating, rear-seat side-impact airbags, Bluetooth wireless technology, auto-dimming exterior mirrors with automatic tilt-down, and a memory function for the driver's seat, steering wheel and exterior mirrors controlled through the SmartAccess system. Options include heated and ventilated front seats ($640), full-size spare tire ($205), wood and leather-trimmed steering wheel ($350), rear side-impact airbags ($250), Bluetooth audio ($300), and HID/AFS lighting ($815). Safety features that come standard on the ES 350 include dual front airbags, dual front knee airbags, front side-impact airbags (for torso protection), curtain airbags (for head protection), electronic stability control, traction control, antilock brakes (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), brake assist, and a tire-pressure monitor. A two-chamber passenger airbag is designed to stop the passenger's upper body and torso with minimal facial contact and neck stress on deployment.

Walkaround The ES 350 continues the Lexus L-Finesse design theme seen previously on three concept cars and the GS and IS sedans. The entire form seems to emanate from the grille and flow back over the car in hard lines. The look brought a new level of slickness, with a wind-tunnel-proven drag coefficient of just 0.28, making the ES 350 inherently quieter and more fuel-efficient than before. The first thing that impressed us with the 2007 redesign was the more generous physical size of the car. The grille is subdued, the headlamp units are smaller and less obtrusive, and the accent line along the side is raised to suggest more musculature under the skin. The ES 350 looks like it belongs in a Lexus showroom. In fact, the ES 350 has been consciously upsized to roughly the same dimensions as the original 1990 LS 400. The wheelbase, at 109.2 inches, is more than two inches longer than that of the 2006 ES 330; the body is wider by 0.4 inches, the track is wider by 1.2 inches, and the body has crisper, shorter overhangs along with a new front, side and rear appearance that's much more upscale than any previous ES. The ES 350 is also about 110 pounds heavier than the ES 330 due to the addition of more safety features and standard equipment. For 2008, the only exterior change is to the side mirrors, and there the difference is subtle. As before, the new mirrors are heated and incorporate puddle lamps. About the only exterior customizing you can do other than paint and wheels is a choice of forward lighting, from standard projector beam to optional high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps with an adaptive lighting function, which swings the headlamps through an arc of up to 15 degrees when turning. There are 10 exterior colors to choose from, plus the Pebble Beach Edition's exclusive Truffle Mica.

Interior Features The ES 350 is roomy and comfortable. It has as much rear head and shoulder room, and more rear legroom, than the 1990 LS 400, and its rear floor is flat and can accommodate large American feet under the seats. The interior of the Lexus ES represents a quantum leap over pre-2007 models. The driving ambience is superb, with good sightlines, hooded instruments and crisp graphics, a 10-way power seat and standard tilt/telescope steering wheel. Fit and finish inside are exemplary. The real wood trim is from a matched set that is serial-numbered for future replacement, if necessary. The thick, fat steering wheel is a pleasure to use. There are three interior colors to choose from, in cloth or two grades of leather. The instrument panel and center stack are more driver-centered, engaging and involving than on previous generation. The instruments are deeply tunneled, using white LED lighting and the Optitron electroluminescent displays that are part of all Lexus models, with their eye-pleasing startup routine. The trip computer monitors a dozen functions. The ES features push-button engine starting and the SmartAccess key fob. With 95.4 cubic feet of cargo space, the ES nearly matches the trunk size of the original LS 400 flagship. The ES is insulated well. At cruising speeds, it's extremely quiet, in part due to its acoustic-control laminated windshield.

Driving Impressions The ES 350 benefits from an all-aluminum engine with all the latest technologies built in. Introduced in the 2007, this engine is a honey and comes paired with a six-speed automatic. The ES 350 is quick to respond, the engine is as smooth and quiet as you would expect, and the transmission operation is flawless, automatic or manual mode, downshift or upshift. Engine and transmission are linked by several electronic modules and the electronic throttle, and there were no glitches we could find. The engine and transmission are isolation-mounted with an electro-hydraulic system to cancel vibration at idle. Lexus quotes a 0-60 mph time of 6.8 seconds, which is competitive in the segment. Traction control and electronic stability control adds to the driver's confidence. The front struts and multi-link rear suspension are both very well isolated from the rest of the car, making for a quiet, smooth ride, with greater control of pitch and body roll than in pre-2007 models. We'd like a little more steering feel in corners and on the highway, but otherwise the speed-related power steering is good and solid. The brakes are average in size for this class, but we saw no sign of brake fade after a hard workout. The ABS, traction control, and electronic stability control are programmed to intervene early to keep the car going in the intended direction.

Summary The Lexus ES 350 is quick and quiet at the same time. It's screwed together better than a Swiss watch, and it has sex appeal. With its new design and all the new standard equipment, the ES 350 ranks among the fiercest competitors in the entry-luxury segment. We think it's an excellent choice among luxury sedans, particularly when comfort and ride quality are priorities. New Car Test Drive correspondent Jim McCraw filed this report from Hawaii.